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SINGAPORE – When fully operational in late 2024, the new Integrated Train Testing Center (ITTC) in Tuas will be one of the first in the world to be able to test different trains and rail systems at the same time, without interrupting regular services. of passengers.
Construction of the center, which began on Wednesday (March 17), is a further step in strengthening the MRT system here, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said at the opening ceremony.
The center, the first in Southeast Asia, is located on a 50ha site in the former Raffles Country Club, which was acquired for the completed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail project.
First announced in 2019, a $ 639.5 million tender to design and build the ITTC was awarded last year to South Korean company GS Engineering.
Singapore’s train testing capacity will be expanded multiple times with a dedicated center that replicates actual conditions on operating lines, Ong said.
Testing can be done 24 hours a day, freeing up limited engineering hours for other maintenance and renovation work. This means less inconvenience for commuters as it reduces the need for early closing and late opening of stations.
The tests are now carried out at the depots and on the main line when the trains are not in service, which adds up to “very few hours in the early hours of the night,” Ong said.
Meanwhile, the testing of the new trains takes a few years, as they must be tested with the respective signaling and communication systems. These tests can only be taken abroad.
With the ITTC, testing can be done while an MRT line is still being developed and the depots are not yet ready. “By testing here, we are better able to troubleshoot, identify and resolve any initial issues early to ensure reliability,” said Ong.
The ITTC will be completed in two phases. The first phase is expected to be ready by the end of next year, in time to receive two new Circle Line Stage 6 trains to be delivered in early 2023.
The center will also help develop local rail engineering capabilities, Ong said, by allowing Land Transportation Authority (LTA) engineers, rail operators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to work closely together on a platform. common test and maintenance.
The hope is that ITTC will encourage more OEMs to locate here, resulting in more timely and cost-effective support.
The LTA said ITTC will support the testing and commissioning of trains and rail systems for new and existing rail lines.
A one-stop shop will allow for mid-life train upgrades here.
The center will host three test tracks: a looped endurance track with an uphill section, a performance loop and integration track with a branched S-shaped track, and a high-speed straight track for testing speeds of up to 100 km / h.
The runways are designed to be interoperable and can be adapted to all types of signaling and communication systems used in the MRT network.
In addition, the center has been designed with energy efficiency in mind. Half of its energy needs will be covered by solar panels. It will also use LED lights and a centralized cooling system.
Said Mr. Ong: “In the future, it will be a physical infrastructure and an institution that upholds our maintenance regime.”
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